TDH Updates Reporting for COVID-19 Cases and Tests
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health is updating the format for sharing of data on COVID-19 to provide a more comprehensive look at the pandemic in Tennessee. The new format will begin June 12, 2020 and will include the addition of probable cases to the daily case counts, and a report of total polymerase chain reaction, or PCR tests completed. These data are updated at 2 p.m. Central time daily on the TDH website at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html.
“We want to present a clear picture of the burden of COVID-19 on our state, and we want Tennesseans to understand the reason it may appear that we’ve had an increase in our cases and tests completed,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP.
The total number of COVID-19 cases will include both laboratory-confirmed cases and probable cases as consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance case definitions: wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/case-definition/2020/.
The full data report will break these numbers down into confirmed and probable cases for the state and for each county, and will provide figures for confirmed and probable deaths. Demographic information will be reported for the combined total of both confirmed and probable cases.
TDH figures for tests completed will comprehensively include those who have been tested multiple times, to provide a more accurate picture of the amount of COVID-19 testing taking place in Tennessee. TDH is only reporting PCR test results.
Tennessee’s county health departments continue to offer COVID-19 testing at no charge to anyone who wishes to be tested. Find a map of health department locations and contact information online at www.tn.gov/content/tn/health/cedep/ncov/remote-assessment-sites.html.
TDH is posting updated COVID-19 case numbers by 2 p.m. CDT each day at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html. Find additional information at www.tn.gov/governor/covid-19.html and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
